


Hocus Pocus

by timehasa_way



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Animal Transformation, Bottom Jared Padalecki, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Inspired by a Movie, M/M, Top Jensen Ackles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:34:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27374299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timehasa_way/pseuds/timehasa_way
Summary: Based on the movie Hocus Pocus. Following the loss of his best friend, Jared wanders his town alone on Halloween night. A little drunk, and a little depressed, he finds himself stumbling around an abandoned house/museum, lighting a candle said to wake an evil warlock when lit by someone pure of heart on Halloween night. To Jared's shock, the legend turns out to be true, and a talking cat named Jensen shows up with a plan to help him correct his mistake and defeat the warlock. One unexpected night turns into an equally unexpected lifelong relationship, leaving Jared with no regrets.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 10
Kudos: 158





	Hocus Pocus

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS/DISCLAIMERS/SPOILERS! I need to do this here, because this fic is really tricky to tag appropriately. Here we go!
> 
> If you've seen Hocus Pocus, you know that the character that Jensen is based on is eventually killed. I DID NOT DO THAT. I wanted a happier ending for this fic. "Major Character Death" tends to imply an untimely death, and I know it can immediately turn people off. I also almost used the "Temporary Character Death" tag, because that's also a thing that happens in the movie. Binx the cat "dies", but immediately comes back, because of his curse to be immortal. I DID do a similar thing to that in this fic. What makes this tricky is that, technically, there is also permanent death in this fic, but just in the sense that it follows all the way through to the natural end of life, after a long and happy life. So! If you're still turned off by that, feel free to skip, but I wanted to clear that all up here, since the tags don't necessarily work well with those somewhat gray areas.
> 
> There is also implied/referenced death, which I think is clear in the summary, and I did not add that character to the tags, since he is only referenced, but that would be Chad Michael Murray. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is referred to as "Morgan" in this fic, because I didn't quite get the warlock vibe from "Jeff". I also don't think that there's enough violence in this fic to call that out, so, again, if you're familiar with the movie, think basically that same level. Which is PG!
> 
> Happy Belated Halloween! XD

The house is dark, of course, because it’s dark outside. The weeds growing over the fence have ventured out over the sidewalk, into the cracks, making it easier to trip, particularly if you’re already drunkenly stumbling. It’s been abandoned for ages, once turned into some hokey museum for tourists obsessed with bogus haunted history. It was shut down when the upkeep became more costly than what those tourists were willing to pay for the price of admission.

It’s all fine by Jared, who couldn’t care less about any of it. It was a stupid idea to begin with, as far as he was concerned, and there were much more well-deserving local business for tourists to support instead of some relic rooted in disproven myths and legends.

He snorts at the building, as if it cares. “ _ Stupid _ ,” he says out loud, kicking at the rusted fence. It’s an odd thing to focus on at the moment, but he’s just buried his one and only friend in this town (on Halloween, no less), and if he can’t drink about it and take it out on some inanimate objects, then what good is this town, anyway?

He’s always been a loner, just doing his job and going home. These days, his job is even done  _ from _ home. He can get his groceries and just about anything else delivered. He doesn’t have much family to speak of, or at least not any who are still local. But Chad… Chad was something of a salesman, which annoyed most people, and even Jared, sometimes. He traveled a lot for his job, but would always get in touch when he came back home, seeking Jared out. He was seemingly the only person who ever  _ remembered _ Jared. Whatever his quirks and vices, it was always nice to see him. But along comes some stupid virus…

They had always toyed with the idea of breaking into this house. Or,  _ Chad _ did, really. When they were younger, he would always talk some big game of seeing just  _ how _ haunted the place was, betting Jared couldn’t stay in it for five minutes. Then they would get distracted, with some show or video game, and it would never happen, anyway. 

Now, Jared stands in front of it, angry at  _ it _ , for some reason. Maybe he wishes they  _ had _ come here all those years ago, at least once, just for the experience; just to have some other ridiculous memory of the man. Instead, here he is, alone. 

Before he can really think about what he’s doing, Jared’s climbing over the fence, dropping heavily on the other side, stumbling forward a bit until he catches himself. He makes his way up the path, trying to make out where the door is, which is difficult with all of the overgrowth. But he does it, tearing some of the vines away, grabbing the knob, and pulling  _ hard _ , putting his back into it. The door sticks, and it’s heavy, and it takes him a few tries, but he gets it, even if it does send him falling backward onto his ass.

He barely feels the fall, getting up again to stare into the darkness of the interior. He hears Chad’s voice in his head telling him that he’ll probably run away screaming, and instead he charges forward, trying like hell to make his eyes adjust. Eventually, he remembers that he has a phone, and he pulls it out of his right jacket pocket, turning the flashlight on and lighting the place up. 

It’s pretty much as he expected, covered in dust and cobwebs, old exposed wooden beams rotting in the ceiling. There are signs here and there from the museum, explaining what various items are, and he wanders around, rolling his eyes at some of the puns and “spooky” explanations. Apparently, one may find the contents of an allegedly skin-bound book  _ spellbinding _ .

There’s an old candle in the corner, with another sign standing next to it, and Jared can’t help but be curious about what significance a _candle_ could have. Propping his phone on a nearby bookshelf and reading the sign, he learns that it burns with a black flame, and according to the legends, when lit by a man with a pure heart on Halloween, it will resurrect a murderous warlock. 

Jared reaches into his left jacket pocket, thumbing the engraved lighter he inherited long ago from his grandfather, now deceased. He always carries it somewhere on his person, but he’s never actually had the opportunity to use it. Thinking of Chad, he smirks a little, speaking quietly into the darkness as he raises the lighter and flips it open, “Who’s running away screaming?”

The shock of something landing on his shoulder is amplified by the screeching yowl in his ear, and Jared  _ does _ scream and jolt, right hand coming up to grab whatever’s got him and push it away. There’s a bit of a tearing sound as claws pull at his jacket, and then he sees the creature hit the floor in front of him, hissing. 

He laughs and shakes his head in disbelief as the black cat growls, back arching.  _ How stereotypical _ , he thinks. Perhaps just to spite the cat who interrupted him in his memorial to Chad, he wastes no time in flicking the lighter open and lighting the candle, black flame shooting up higher than he expected, making him take a step back. 

Suddenly, the floorboards start shaking, and he thinks he’s just drunkenly imbalanced again until he sees a green glow beneath them. Real fear starts to creep up his spine as he gets the feeling that he just did something very,  _ very _ wrong. He grabs his phone and moves to run, back toward the front door, but it slams in his face, and he falls backward, the wind knocked out of him, the lighter gone God knows where. The cat hops up on his chest and glares down at him with vivid green eyes. 

“Nice going,  _ asshole _ .”

Jared’s mouth drops open as the cat’s mouth closes in a frown, and he thinks this  _ must _ be a dream. Alcohol has never had  _ this _ kind of effect on him. 

“Come on,” the cat speaks again, sounding  _ very _ annoyed, “We have to get out of here. Get the book!” Shaking, Jared gets back up, still unsteady on the moving, glowing floorboards, the cat looking at him expectantly from the front door. “Come on, grab it, and let’s go!  _ NOW! _ ”

Jared frantically looks around, not even sure how to comprehend what’s happening in this moment. He sees the skin-bound book, grabs it, lurches forward and throws his whole body into the front door, forcing it open once again. As he runs from the building, he shoves his phone back into his pocket. As the cat sprints in front of him, the weeds and vines pull back and vanish, the rust on the fence fades, and when Jared glances back, the house is glowing and slowly returning to its former glory. 

“Follow me!”

He doesn’t have time to question the fact that he’s following a  _ talking cat _ , his brain still trying to catch up to what’s happening, but he does follow, one foot in front of the other ; the cat’s tail sticking straight up like a flag. His breathing becomes labored sooner than expected, and he worries that he’s either still too drunk or is panicking and will pass out, until he realizes that the book is just heavier than he thought it would be. The cat leads him to another fence, this one in better condition, and it’s one that Jared knows all too well, having just passed through it earlier that same day. 

“This is the graveyard!” Jared says, stopping in his tracks, the memory of Chad’s burial still fresh in his mind. But the cat just rolls its eyes. 

“ _ Yes _ , connected to the  _ church _ . It’s hallowed ground, and it’s the only place you’ll be safe.” Well, fuck, if tonight isn’t just like some psychotic acid trip. The cat easily squeezes through the bars, but Jared has to heft the book beneath his arm, lift the latch, and open the gate, the screech sounding far too loud while the rest of the town sleeps. He closes it again behind him, and follows the cat further in. “We need to get to the old crypt.” 

“What? Why?” Jared stops in his tracks, breathing heavily, suddenly feeling like the world is spinning, and he’s not sure if it’s the alcohol or everything that’s happening. “Who  _ are _ you?” 

The cat pauses, still clearly perturbed with all of Jared’s hesitations. “My name is Jensen. The warlock you just woke up back there is called Morgan. He killed my best friend and cursed me to live forever as a cat. I’ve kept an eye on that place for  _ hundreds _ of years, making sure nobody would do what you just did.” It’s disconcerting, the way the cat - Jensen - looks him up and down, but Jared can see a  _ sliver _ of sympathy there. “I saw you at the funeral here today. Whatever you’ve got going on in your life, what you just did was  _ incredibly _ stupid  _ and _ dangerous.” Jensen’s body language changes then, tail and head lowering. “And I failed to stop you.”

“I’m sorry,” Jared says, and he’s surprised to find that he means it, as bizarre as it is to apologize to a  _ cat _ for something he didn’t even think was real. But Jensen’s dejected expression still gets to him, and he wishes he could take it back. “My name’s Jared,” he tries, and it feels like an awkward time for an introduction.

A sound like wind behind them makes Jensen’s ears perk up, eyes wide. Jared turns and sees a figure flying quickly toward them, leaving behind the trail of a soft, green glow.

“Get low to the ground!” Jensen nearly pounces on him, and Jared complies, dropping down to the cold grass. “And  _ don’t _ let him get the book!” Jared places the book beneath his back as he leans back on his elbows, just to be safe. He suddenly feels oddly sober, which also doesn’t make him feel any better about anything that’s happening.

It seems like the figure is upon them before Jared can even blink, leaning forward from where he sits in mid-air on his broom, a cocky but charismatic smile on his face, eyes focused solely on Jared. “Thanks for the wake up call, friend. I think you might have something of mine.” 

“You’ll never have it,” Jensen says, stepping in front of Jared, back raised, tail high and poofed. 

Morgan cocks his head as his gaze turns to Jensen and smiles wider. “ _ Jensen Ackles _ . You’re  _ still _ here?” He laughs, and the sound gives Jared chills. “Oh right, I gave you immortality. Such a  _ gift _ .” Jensen hisses and Morgan laughs again. “Still holding a grudge, after all these years?” He turns his attention back to Jared, and Jared freezes. “I suggest you give me the book, son.”

Jared swallows, wondering how the hell he got himself into this mess. Then he remembers that he definitely  _ got himself into this mess _ by lighting that stupid candle. He sees Jensen still rigid and poised to strike in front of him and can’t help but already feel some sense of loyalty to the cat. “What happens if I don’t?”

“Well…” Morgan raises an eyebrow and sits up a little straighter. He glances around the graveyard and snaps his fingers. Jared feels a rumble beneath the ground, hears muffled groans and scraping, and when he looks toward the nearest grave, he sees the earth get pushed aside, a mangled, decomposed hand sticking up out of it. “Let’s just say it won’t be pretty.”

Jensen looks back at Jared. “We’re gonna have to run.”

Jared scoffs, heart pounding. “I thought you said we’d be safe here!” 

“Morgan can’t land here,” Jensen clarifies, “So it’s the safest place to be, but not… well…  _ safe _ .”

“I smell fresh grave dirt,” Morgan interrupts, and Jared stops cold.  _ Chad _ . “The fresh ones are always more fun.” He eyes Jared again with a knowing smirk. “Someone you know? Or…  _ knew _ ?”

For a moment, Jared can’t think, can hardly even breathe. Then he feels an odd sense of hope, and he looks at Morgan a little differently. “You can bring Chad back?”

“No!” Jensen jumps at Jared, onto his chest, and Jared can feel the slightest bit of claws through his shirt, Jensen’s face is close to his, panicked. “Don’t fall for it, Jared. He won’t be the same, not like you remember. This isn’t a gift, it’s a curse!” 

“What a thing to say,” Morgan chides, leaning forward again. “Of course I can bring Chad back.”

“For a price, I bet!” Jensen moves off of Jared’s chest, turning back toward Morgan. “Let me guess… his soul? Just like you took Jason’s! You killed him!” 

Jared can hear the pain in Jensen’s voice, as if the loss was just yesterday and not hundreds of years ago, and his heart goes out to him. But Morgan just taps his own chest and grins.

“He lives in here. Just like he was then, in the prime of his life! It keeps me young and  _ energetic _ .” Jensen yowls, a sound that’s both despair and anger, claws swiping at the air between him and Morgan, who doesn’t even react, just keeps his focus on Jared. “You would be even better for me. We could be powerful together. What do you think? Seems like more than a fair trade for Chad to walk the earth again.” 

“As a zombi-”

Jensen’s protest is cut off when Morgan’s hands swiftly move, his magic picking up a nearby stone and hurling it into Jensen’s skull. Jared jolts and gasps as the cat falls to the ground, lifeless, and he’s struck by the sense of heartbreak he feels for the second time that day, for someone he barely even knew. 

But seconds later, Jensen takes a sharp breath and gets back to his feet, shaking it off, and Jared just sits there, stunned.

“I’m losing my patience,” Morgan says, a hard edge to his voice, and Jared now feels the sharp fear that the shock of the night had kept from him. He can’t believe he ever thought about trusting this man with Chad’s life. “I made you immortal, and I’ll happily spend all night killing you until I get that book. How many times do you want to die?”

“No.” Jared almost doesn’t realize that he’s speaking until he grabs the book and grabs Jensen, holding both protectively to his chest as he gets up and starts running, the ground beginning to rumble more furiously as he does. 

Jensen squirms in Jared’s arms. “Let me go, let me GO!” Jared drops him, realizing too late that he’d violated a personal boundary, a fleeting reminder running through his brain that Jensen is actually a  _ human _ trapped in a cat’s body.

And just like that, he’s following a cat again, with Jensen running ahead. He tries to block out the groans and shrieks surrounding them, the sounds of crumbling headstones, and it’s all he can do to not stop, drop, and curl up in a panicked ball on the ground. When Jensen dives into a small gap beneath the stone wall of a mausoleum, Jared mindlessly follows, just _barely_ able to fit through with the book. 

He drops roughly to a cold stone floor, and it’s incredibly dark but suddenly quiet, a sharp contrast to the outside. 

“This is the old crypt,” Jensen says, his voice a comfort in the darkness. “They’ve built over it, and it’s mostly been forgotten, but it’s safe.”

Jared takes a moment to get to his knees, hugging the book to his chest and trying to take deep breaths. “How do you know?”

There’s a moment of silence, and Jared can sense a bit of shame in Jensen’s tone when he speaks. “When I can’t manage to find any scraps above ground, this is where I come to… hunt for mice.”

He thinks again about how Jensen isn’t  _ actually _ a cat and tries to respond with just a neutral, “Oh.”

“If you need a minute, that’s okay,” Jensen says softly, and Jared nods. “But I’m really gonna need your help quickly if we’re going to stop Morgan.”

_ Fuck _ . “How are we supposed to stop him?”

Jared feels fur against his hand, and feels a little calmer knowing that Jensen is so close. “I’ve had centuries to think about this. To  _ plan _ this. I wanted to be ready if the time ever came. Of course, I could only be so ready, being a cat. I’ve had to hope to have human help. Can you help me?”

It’s a plea that Jared can’t ignore, and he slowly gets to his feet, the ceiling of this place  _ just _ above his head. He pulls his phone back out of his pocket, the flashlight still on, and hopes the battery doesn’t run out too quickly. Jensen steps into the light.

“This crypt leads to the sewers. I can take you to where we need to come back out. Just follow me.”

_ One foot in front of the other _ , Jared thinks, beginning to feel numb to what’s going on. Really, he’s trying not to think about it as they walk along underground. But the one thing he does think about is the cat he’s following, and he tries to pry without, well,  _ prying _ .

“You saw me at the funeral today?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t see you,” Jared says. Then follows it up with the realization, “I don’t think I’ve  _ ever _ seen you. And you’ve always been around.”

Jensen pauses for a moment and turns back to Jared, sadness in his eyes. “People tend to ignore or fear black cats. Sometimes that fear or superstition isn’t pleasant. I don’t typically get welcomed into people’s homes for a pet and a snack. I’m only seen when I  _ want _ to be seen. I’ve learned how to do that the hard way.”

It seems like bad form to follow a tough question with another tough question, but Jared can’t resist. “Who was Jason?”

Jensen turns away. “Jason was my best friend. Morgan took his soul with a spell to grant him eternal youth. I interfered and tried to save him. I’d also raised the alarm in the town that Morgan was a witch before I ran ahead alone to try to be a hero. I failed, and Morgan cursed me before the town executed him. I couldn’t go back to my family or friends, because black cats were even  _ more _ feared then. They wouldn’t understand. If I tried, I could barely get close to them before they’d chase me away or threaten me.”

“I’m so sorry.” Jared finds himself wanting to pick Jensen up again, but instead he just holds the book tighter. “I lost my best friend, too,” he offers. It doesn’t measure up to Jensen’s story at all, but Jensen still turns back to him, eyes bright with understanding and empathy.

“Chad?” Jared nods, and Jensen moves forward, placing his paw on top of Jared’s shoe. “I’m sorry.” They share a brief moment of silence before Jensen moves on, trotting ahead. “We should keep moving.”

They walk for what feels like an eternity in darkness, Jared trying not to groan too loudly when they make their way into the sewers. Jensen doesn’t seem to mind it, and he guesses it’s still better than dealing with zombies. He’ll still need time to wrap his head around  _ that _ later. He’s not sure that he’ll ever be able to fully grasp the possibility of Chad being among the zombies, and he pushes that thought out of his head completely.

After a few twists and turns, Jensen stops and looks up, Jared following his gaze with the light and seeing a manhole cover above.

“This exits right by the crematorium.”

Jared resists the urge to shiver. He would love to see something that  _ doesn’t _ remind him of death tonight. “Okay, and?”

“And…” Jensen looks at him, “We need to break in and lead Morgan there. He’ll come for the book if we open it, it’s like a beacon for him.”

There’s a moment of silence between them, Jared tilting his head as he tries to figure this out, and he feels as if he’s being especially slow on the uptake. “So… We burn the book, because it’s the source of his power, and then this is all over?” Jensen just stares at him, and Jared feels a pit forming in his stomach, his legs suddenly feeling weak. “Oh, no. No, no, no.”

“Morgan was hanged back when he was executed, plus this spell was in place to bring him back if the candle was lit,” Jensen explains, “But the only true way to get rid of a witch - an evil one, because not all are - is to burn it.”

Jared nearly throws the book to the ground, wanting no part of this anymore. “You brought me here so I could  _ burn someone alive?! _ Jesus, Jensen, I can’t do that!” He’s sick at just the thought of it, stomach churning.

“You have to,” Jensen insists. “You saw what he can do, and what he  _ will _ do to get revenge on this town, even if everyone who wronged him is already dead. Hell, he’s raising them from the dead now, and he’ll take it out on their children’s children’s children. He won’t stop.” The cat steps forward on sewer-damp paws. “As much as I hate the man, this isn’t just a personal vendetta for me, even though that’s part of it. If we don’t stop him, we’re leaving the rest of the world in danger.”

“You say ‘we’,” Jared says, voice shaky, “But  _ I’m _ the one who has to actually do it.”

Jensen gives him a look and a move that’s the cat’s equivalent of a shrug. “I mean, if I had thumbs and were six feet tall…”

“Funny.” Jared moves to lean back against the sewer wall, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to pull himself together.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. But considering your reaction, I don’t think you would have even followed me this far. And I really am sorry that you have to do this. I know it’s horrific, I just don’t know of any other way. You know I wouldn’t even suggest it if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. I’m not a monster.”

The truth is, Jared doesn’t actually know Jensen that well, having just met him tonight. But opening his eyes and looking into Jensen’s, he  _ does _ know it’s true. And Jensen’s tone once again tugs at Jared’s heartstrings. For centuries, Jensen’s been feared as some dark, evil force, being a black cat. Now he has to carry out this plan. Jared sighs. Regardless of how long he’s known Jensen, the choice between good and evil here is obvious. Then he has a thought.

“Couldn’t we just use the book to find some spell to get rid of Morgan?”

“ _ No! _ ” Jensen growls as he says it, adamant. “Nothing good can come from that book.  _ Nothing _ . We only need it to coax Morgan in, and then we have to destroy it along with him. It’s a source of evil, Jared. Never forget that.”

Jared sighs again. “Well, how the hell do we even break into the crematorium without getting caught in the first place?”

“The basement,” Jensen supplies. “It’s in a bit of disrepair. I’ve been inside. There’s quite a rat hole in the wall that I’m able to squeeze through, and there’s a basement window that I can still manage to push the inside latch on with my paw. It’s small, but I think you can still fit through.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Then we come back to hide in the sewers and try to come up with a plan B. I’m a cat, not a magician.” Jensen places a paw on Jared’s shoe again, looking up at him. “Are you with me?”

Jared curses under his breath, moving before he has more time to think about it. “Yes.” He turns the flashlight off on his phone and shoves it in his pocket, then climbs up to the manhole cover, struggling a bit to keep the book close and stable while he tries to open it up to the street above. When he does, he opens it slowly, afraid of both traffic and Morgan’s zombies having somehow managed to follow them, but it all seems quiet. He exits, Jensen managing to awkwardly maneuver his way up behind him, then gently closes the cover again, every bit of sound seeming too loud now.

Jensen wordlessly sprints toward the crematorium, Jared following him to the basement window he’d mentioned. 

“Stay here.”

He watches as Jensen creeps along the wall, then disappears into a small hole in the crumbling foundation. Jared feels his skin crawl like he’s being watched, and he’s tense and on high alert, suddenly feeling more alone and vulnerable than he ever has, now that Jensen isn’t right next to him. 

A moment later, he hears a loud click from the other side of the window and a soft meow. He pushes, and the window opens inward. And Jensen’s right, this window  _ is _ small. Taking a deep breath, Jared prays that he’ll fit through, turning so that he’s feet-first. It’s a tight squeeze, and parts of him scrape uncomfortably along the ground and the window’s frame, but he makes it inside with the book, grabbing the window before it swings shut and makes any kind of noise, closing it quietly. 

“It worked!” Jensen whispers excitedly, and Jared pulls his phone out again to use the light, ignoring his battery percentage for the moment. 

He jumps at the sight of tables with covered bodies, heart giving a bit of a start as he gasps, nearly panicking, and Jensen meows again, startled by Jared’s reaction. 

“Try not to think about it,” Jensen says a moment later, “And just follow me upstairs. We have no time to waste.” 

Jared can’t help his fast, heavy breathing as he walks past the bodies, goosebumps over his entire body as they make their way up the stairs and through a door into the main area of the crematorium. What he’s about to attempt to do hits him full force when he sees the large furnace chambers, and he shakes his head, feeling his hands shake as a lump forms in his throat. 

“I don’t think I can do this,” he says, and he sits down on the floor, hugging the book to his chest. “I really don’t think I can. I’m sorry.”

“You  _ can _ .” Jensen climbs up into Jared’s lap, a warm weight on his legs. “And I’m sorry, too. But you can, Jared. I know it feels wrong, and it  _ should _ feel wrong. I would be worried about you if it didn’t. After all, the candle does need to be lit by someone who’s pure of heart.” Jared scoffs, not feeling so pure while he’s considering burning someone to death in a crematorium. “But what you’re doing will save so many lives. And, with any luck, killing Morgan this way will break my curse.”

That gives Jared pause, and he stops hyperventilating for a moment, taking that in. There’s so much hope in Jensen’s voice, but… “Does that mean you’ll die?”

“If the curse breaks, I don’t know if I’ll die right away,” Jensen muses. “I don’t know if it’ll bring back all of the damage I’ve already sustained and survived. From what I can tell, it’s not just that I  _ survived _ those things, it’s that those things  _ healed _ . So, maybe I won’t die right away, but I’ll at least be  _ able _ to die.”

Jared’s heart drops, and he feels tears spring to his eyes. “You say that like you  _ want _ it. So it’s not enough that I’m murdering a villain, I have to kill  _ you _ , too?” 

To Jared’s surprise, Jensen’s green eyes go soft, and he moves in close, rubbing his head against Jared’s cheek and purring. “Death isn’t always the evil thing you think it is. It’s not always something to be feared.” He sits back and looks at Jared with more sorrow in his eyes than Jared’s ever seen. “You don’t know what it’s like to live for centuries, let alone to live for centuries trapped in a body that isn’t yours. I’ve had to watch everyone I’ve ever known or loved grow old and die without even knowing I was still here. I’m not saying that if the curse breaks, I’m going to immediately run out into traffic. But there’s a reason why being immortal is a  _ curse _ , Jared. As much as Morgan thinks it would be a gift for him. You wouldn’t be killing me, you would be  _ freeing _ me, and I-” Jensen’s voice cuts off, and if he were human, Jared knows that he would actually be crying. “I have no words for how grateful I would be.”

Jared swallows against the lump in his throat and wipes away tears. He holds the book steady with one hand while reaching out to pet Jensen with the other, not thinking anymore about personal boundaries, but Jensen just closes his eyes and pushes his head into Jared’s palm, purring again. 

“Okay.” Jensen moves off of Jared’s lap as Jared slowly gets to his feet. He turns the flashlight off again, shoving his phone back into his pocket. There’s enough light from the high windows in the building now. “Okay, so how do these things even work?”

“There are buttons beside them,” Jensen says, moving toward a panel to the left of one of the chambers. “I think we can leave the lights off and just turn one of these on, when the time comes. I don’t want us to attract too much attention too soon. Which is the other thing - Once you light Morgan up, we have to get out of here as fast as we can. We can’t just fire up the crematorium and have nobody notice.”

“Right.” Jared hefts the book in his hands and nods toward the chamber. “What do we do with this, and how do we get Morgan in there?”

“Morgan hasn’t been around for centuries.” For once, Jensen sounds pretty satisfied with himself for the knowledge he’s been able to gain from being around for so long. “He doesn’t know what these things are. All he’ll know is the book. You’ll need to - quickly - open the book, push it deep inside, and then hide yourself. He’ll be in here after it before we can blink, but as soon as he’s in far enough, you come back out and push those buttons.”

“Okay,” Jared repeats, nodding. He tries to ignore the taste of bile in his throat as he opens the chamber doors. “Then are we ready?”

“I’ve  _ been _ ready,” Jensen answers. “Are you?”

Jared doesn’t say anything more, just opens the book to a nearly blinding red light. Cursing, he squints and does his best to shove the book into the chamber, as far as it will go, the whole thing glowing brightly. 

“ _ Run! _ ” 

He dashes back to the basement door, hiding behind it at the top of the stairs, leaving it open just a crack to see what’s happening, Jensen scurrying inside with him and peering out, too. There’s a flash like lightning, and then Morgan is there in the room, looking around. Jared shrinks back, holding back his gasp, feeling like his heart is beating too loudly in his chest, but Morgan doesn’t see them. Instead he moves toward the chamber, stopping just outside of it and peering into it curiously. 

“How  _ ever _ did you get in there?” he muses.

“ _ No _ ,” Jensen murmurs in the dark, and Jared almost shushes him, but Jensen continues in a whisper, “He’s going to try to draw it to him. You’ll have to push him in.”

“ _ What?! _ ”

“I would if I could, but I’m not big enough. If you move fast, he might not see it coming. Just run in and shove as hard as you can.  _ Hurry! _ ”

To Jared’s dismay, Morgan holds up a hand, and the book comes flying to him. Jared’s legs are moving before he can even really process his next thought, trying to react while Morgan is still facing the chamber. He bursts through the basement door and sprints toward Morgan, throwing a full-body check into the man. Morgan grunts in pain and surprise, falling forward into the chamber with the book still clutched in his hands, and Jared shoves again before lunging for the panel of buttons, pressing furiously, hoping to catch the right one. The sudden flames make him feel victorious, his heart racing, but then he hears the screams, and he buckles, falling to his knees and slapping his hands over his ears. 

“You did it!” Jensen’s voice is muffled, but Jared feels paws repeatedly tapping at his arms. “Jared, come on, we have to go!”

Stumbling to his feet feeling dizzy with adrenaline and horror, he starts to head back for the basement door, planning to escape the same way they came in. He doesn’t know why he turns back to look at the chamber, but he does, and the screams stop with a plume of red smoke. Morgan is gone, for good. Jared hadn’t even thought to close the doors again, and there’s no trace of a body within the flames, but to his dismay…

“The book!” 

“What?” Jensen asks, puzzled, turning back from the basement door. 

“The book isn’t burning!”

“We can’t leave it here,” Jensen says, scurrying back toward the chamber. “We can’t leave it  _ anywhere _ . That book needs to be disposed of, not found and ending up in the wrong hands.”

Jared races back to the panel, frantically pushing at buttons again, and the flames die down, but he can still hear sirens in the distance. “ _Shit_.” He looks around the room, eventually spotting a long metal rake-like tool that he grabs to reach into the chamber and drag the book out. He drops the tool and grabs the book, expecting it to burn, but the book is oddly cool to the touch, and then he takes off, Jensen with him. They run down the stairs and climb back out the window, then run back behind the building, down alleys and side streets, just trying to create distance between themselves and the crematorium and the sirens. By the time they stop running, Jared finds that they made their way back to the graveyard, with Jensen peering through the gates. Catching his breath, Jared looks, too.

“Nothing,” he gasps, looking at the undisturbed graves and headstones. “It’s like nothing ever happened.” 

Jensen doesn’t answer, just runs off back toward the old house-turned-museum, and Jared follows. It’s the same thing there, like nothing had ever happened. The grounds are overgrown with weeds and vines again, no sign of anything living or even any trespassing. 

“You did it,” Jensen says, but his voice sounds hollow. “You defeated Morgan, and you fixed it. You saved the town. Probably the world.”

Jared’s about to make a crack about Jensen not sounding so thrilled about it until he realizes the obvious, staring down at Jensen, who’s still a cat. His heart breaks.

“You’re a hero,” Jensen says, with more confidence and satisfaction, clearly masking his sadness as he looks up at Jared. “You should be proud of yourself.  _ I’m _ proud. I always thought I would despise whoever lit that candle, but you’ve more than made up for it. You did everything you had to do, and you trusted me. Thank you.”

“I don’t feel worthy of that.” Jared laughs uncomfortably, even though he wants to cry over the fact that Jensen is still so thankful. “Plus, we still have the book to worry about. I guess we’ll have to figure out some way to drop it to the bottom of the ocean, or something.”

“You’ll find a way.” Jared’s touched by Jensen’s confidence in him, but also bothered by his use of  _ you _ instead of  _ we _ . “After what I saw tonight, I don’t doubt that you will.”

Jared shakes his head. “Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye?”

Jensen pauses, and then his head tilts slightly. “I… I thought you would want to go home and try to forget about all this. Except for the book, of course.”

“I do,” Jared agrees, “I want to go home and forget about  _ Morgan _ , but I kinda thought you’d be coming with me.”

“Oh.” Jensen seems genuinely shocked. “Well, I guess it would be tough to be alone tonight, after all that.”

“I don’t just mean tonight,” Jared clarifies, and it’s something he’s realizing as he says it. “I mean that you can stay with me. It can be your home, too.”

There’s silence for so long, Jared isn’t sure what to think. When Jensen speaks again, it sounds like he’s trying very hard to keep his voice steady. 

“You… You want a dirty black cat who brings in fleas?”

“Yes,” Jared says, without hesitation, and Jensen closes his eyes, his head lowered.

“You really  _ are _ pure of heart.”

“Please.” Jared rolls his eyes. “It’s the least I can do. Not that I feel obligated,” he rushes to explain. “But wanting you around doesn’t make me a saint.”

“I haven’t had a home in hundreds of years,” Jensen says, ignoring Jared’s modesty. “I haven’t even been invited into one.”

Jared can’t help but feel angry at all the people who might have turned Jensen away. “Well… Follow me.”

When they get to Jared’s house, Jensen even hesitates at the open door, as if something will happen if he crosses the threshold. But Jared waits patiently, feeling victorious for the second time that night after Jensen crosses over and he’s able to close the door behind them both, this victory much more comforting than the first. Jensen freezes once inside, like he doesn’t know what to do. 

“Make yourself at home,” Jared says, walking into the living room and dumping the book on his coffee table. “I mean, I might not have everything that’s suitable for a cat, but it’s not like you can’t talk to me about it.” He flops onto the couch and watches as Jensen takes two small, tentative steps further into the room. “I wish I could offer you a beer. Something to take the edge off. But I still want to make sure we keep you healthy in the body that you’re in.” 

“Am I…” Jensen trails off, looking around, and it’s the first time Jared’s seen him look small and intimidated. “Am I allowed on the furniture?”

Damn if Jared doesn’t want to pick Jensen up and cuddle him. “You’re allowed  _ anywhere _ , Jensen.”

Jensen jumps up on the couch cushion next to Jared and sits awkwardly, too rigid to be relaxed. Jared wants him to feel at home, but quietly accepts that it will take Jensen some time. At the moment, he’s just happy that Jensen  _ did _ come home with him.

“Are you hungry?” Jared asks, even though he feels exhausted. “You must be. Probably thirsty, too.” He gets back up off the couch and sees Jensen watch him leave with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. He does his best to keep his own energy calm, even though this night has been anything but. “I’ll have to go out in the morning to get some actual cat food.” He heads for the kitchen, checking his cabinets and fridge. He grabs chicken, figuring that’s a safe bet, and gets some oil and a pan out to cook it up on the stove. Once it’s cooking, he hears a meow and feels a paw on his leg, and looks down to see Jensen sheepishly settle himself back down on the floor beside Jared.

“Sorry,” Jensen apologizes. “Instinct. I could smell it.” He laughs awkwardly. “I  _ almost _ jumped up on the counter.”

Jared smiles while keeping an eye on the chicken. “No need to apologize. And I wouldn’t have minded.” Jensen watches quietly the rest of the time, though Jared notes that his tail is straight up in the air, an excited little shake to it, the base of it slightly poofed. It’s pretty cute, though he doesn’t say so.

With the chicken cooked all the way through, he grabs a small plate and cuts it up, then fetches a bowl to fill with water. He places both on the floor, in an empty corner across from the stove, where he imagines he could keep food and water bowls, once he’s gotten everything he needs. Jensen hungrily devours the chicken, and Jared finally notices just how lean he is. He also drinks for quite a while, lapping at the water. When he’s finished, he looks up at Jared, his own eyes seeming drowsy and content. 

“That was delicious. Thank you.”

“You won’t have to thank me every time,” Jared says, waving him off. “You live here now, remember? It’s your home, too.” Jensen’s tail shakes again, and then he pauses, scratching under his chin. Jared tilts his head in concern. “ _ Do  _ you have fleas?”

Jensen stops scratching and looks shamed. “Sometimes, yeah. I’ve kinda learned to live with them, but… You probably wouldn’t want that here.”

“Well, you also shouldn’t have to live with them. I’m sure it’s uncomfortable.” Jensen gives him a look that says that it is, but he won’t complain. “I think I can help, if you’ll let me. But you might not like it.”

“You’ve already done so much tonight, Jared.”

“It’s okay,” Jared reassures. “Just, you know. A quick… bath.” He braces himself, knowing cats aren’t usually fond of baths, and Jensen does seem hesitant, but considering.

“I remember bathing back when I was a human was a luxury. It felt good then. I can’t say I’ve liked having wet  _ fur _ since then, but that’s mostly been from being outside in the rain.” He sighs. “I would like to feel clean again.”

“Okay, well…” Jared leans forward a little, as if to pick Jensen up. “May I?” Jensen lifts up so that his front paws are on Jared’s shin, and Jared reaches down to pick him up, holding him to his chest for a moment before setting him down in the kitchen sink. He moves the faucet out of the way for a moment, turning the taps on low, and feeling the water himself first. “I’ll make sure it’s warm.” With the water at the right temperature, he grabs his dish soap. “Now this isn’t exactly bathing material,” he says, “But they use it to get oil off of ducks, and one time when Chad fostered a stray, he used this to get rid of the fleas, so it should help.”

He does what Chad did before, making a ring around Jensen’s neck with the soap. Then he pulls the faucet out and turns on the spray. “Ready?” He slowly starts to wet Jensen’s fur, and while he sees Jensen recoil just a bit at first, he does relax and take to it. He can already see a few fleas trying to escape up through the ring of soap on Jensen’s neck and making it no further. He gets a bit more soap and lathers the rest of Jensen’s fur, careful about his face. He’s even more relieved to have gotten a meal into Jensen now, feeling just how much the fur disguises the skin-and-bones look. While Jensen can’t die, Jared can’t stand that he’s been uncomfortable in any way. He makes sure to thoroughly rinse Jensen, no more soap, and no more fleas, and he turns the water off. “Shit, give me one second!” He runs off to grab a towel from his hall closet and comes back quickly, wrapping it around Jensen as he lifts him out of the sink and rubs it over his wet fur. He tries to dry Jensen fairly thoroughly, smiling when he feels Jensen purring against his chest, then carries him back to the couch, the towel still beneath and around him as he dries further. 

“Better?” Jared asks, sitting down next to Jensen, and Jensen yawns and stretches.

“This feels like a dream.”

Jared laughs. “Well, it’s definitely real, I can tell you that. Though I would have said the same thing earlier tonight, when I first found you.”

“I hate to say this,” Jensen says, lying down and sounding sleepy, “But I’m almost  _ glad _ you lit that candle.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” It’s odd, but Jared actually does agree. After all, prior to lighting the candle, he’d lost the only person still close to him and felt alone in the world. Now, he’s got Jensen. It’s late, and they’re both tired, but it’s also hard to wind down after the night they’ve had, so Jared keeps the conversation going. “How old are you, anyway?”

Jensen shifts within the towel. “I think I was about your age when Morgan cursed me, actually. But since the curse? I’ve lost count. Time doesn’t seem to matter as much anymore when so much of it passes.”

“The things you’ve lived through, though,” Jared says, realizing it now himself. “I mean, you’ve witnessed so much.”

“In a way,” Jensen answers, turning onto his side and looking up at Jared. “I’ve been  _ around _ through a lot of things, yes, but as a cat. I’ve been on the periphery of things, so there’s still a lot I don’t know. I’ve seen people and technology grow and change. I know there were wars, but I don’t know all of the details. It’s been both extraordinary and frustrating. I’m not  _ surprised _ by much, but I’m sure I still have a lot to learn.” He pauses for a moment. “Though one time I did share some table scraps with Alexander Hamilton.”

Jared’s eyes go wide. “ _ Really?! _ ”

“No.” They both laugh, and Jared’s glad to see more of Jensen’s sense of humor. “Oh, I could tell you  _ anything! _ This could be fun.”

Jared gives a little push at the body beneath the towel. “Glad to see you’re enjoying yourself.”

“I am! And I really didn’t think I could, after all these years. It’s so nice just to be able to  _ talk _ to someone.”

“Well, get used to it.” Jared stands again, stretching and yawning himself. “I’m gonna try to get some sleep. Feel free to sleep wherever is comfortable for you. If you want to come to bed, I don’t mind sharing.”

Jensen still seems guarded and nervous at that, but the invitation is there. “Goodnight,” he says in acceptance, and Jared says it back and turns the lights off, heading down the hallway to his bedroom at the back of the house. He collapses onto his bed in his clothes and doesn’t bother getting undressed, too exhausted to do so. Part of him worries that he’ll wake up in the morning and this  _ will _ all be a dream, which he only fears because he doesn’t want to lose Jensen. He drifts off at some point, only to be half-woken when he feels something shift on the bed. Then he hears purring and feels paws kneading just by his shoulder, and he smiles, warmed by the fact that Jensen’s joined him. He feels Jensen flop down beside him, curled up so that his head fits just in the crook of Jared’s neck, his breath warm and purrs more pronounced. He falls asleep again, forgetting the horrific events of the night and only feeling content.

He’s woken in the dim light of morning by the whispered sound of his name, and then a somewhat panicked meow. He remembers Jensen, and his eyes fly open and he sits straight up in bed. Jensen is pacing by the door of his bedroom, eyes wide. 

“Jared, I’m so sorry to wake you, but I just… I have to  _ go _ .”

“Oh, shit, sorry!” Jared jumps up and rushes to the back door, feeling bad that he wasn’t prepared for this moment and wondering just how long Jensen’s been holding everything in. He opens the door and Jensen bolts out into the yard. Jared looks away to give him some privacy, then opens the door again when he hears Jensen scratching. Jensen comes back in looking sheepish, and Jared rubs a tired hand over his face. “Okay… I have to run to the store, I’ll be back.”

He leaves and returns with more stuff than he can carry in one trip, one item being a litter box. He sets it up in the bathroom, and once it’s ready, Jensen comes in and stares at it with him. 

“So… You’re gonna, like. Clean up after me?”

“Yes,” Jared says, matter-of-factly. “Look, a lot of things are gonna seem weird at first, considering you aren’t  _ just _ a cat, and we’re just gonna have to deal with the awkward and be adults about it. I don’t mind doing it for you.” 

Jensen sits and huffs. “It feels strange being a  _ pet _ . I’m not saying it’s  _ bad _ , I’m just saying it’s strange.”

Jared raises an eyebrow. “Stranger than being turned into a cat in the first place and burning a warlock alive in a crematorium after being chased into the sewers by zombies?”

“...Fair.”

The food bowl goes just where Jared had pictured it, along with a filtered water fountain. He’s got grain-free, gluten-free food for indoor cats, scratching posts, treats for dental health, catnip, and various toys that he thinks might have been a step over the line, but he feels validated when Jensen starts batting one around. “You’re gonna spoil me,” Jensen says, his tone both accusatory and pleased, and Jared just smiles. 

They fall into a routine over the next few days: breakfast, Jensen sunbathing in the living room window while Jared works, break for lunch, more sunbathing and work, and then they spend the evening together. They have dinner, watch TV, talk, and laugh. Jensen even cheers Jared on when he’s playing video games, something he catches on to fairly quickly when Jared explains them as Jensen watches. And at night, Jensen curls up with him in bed, mostly in his usual spot by Jared’s neck, but sometimes sprawled out on his chest, tail gently tapping a few times as he settles, with Jared’s fingers smoothing down his fur.

“Do I need to take you to the vet?” Jared asks one day, and Jensen emphatically says, “ _ No! _ ”

“Not just because I don’t want to,” Jensen explains, “But, you know… That whole immortality thing. They’re gonna keep expecting me to be a senior cat who should be checking out soon, and I never will be.”

“Good point.”

The book eventually makes its way into the bottom of the closet in Jared’s study, and as time goes on, Jared almost forgets about it.  _ Almost.  _

He starts to think about it again, then more and more. Because as much as Jensen and their routine is wonderful, Jared can’t stand that he can’t help Jensen more and break the curse. There has to be something in the book that can help.

One day, while Jensen is sunbathing between breakfast and lunch, and while Jared’s supposed to be working, he instead quietly opens up the closet and takes out the book. It scares him just looking at it, and it takes him several minutes to work up the courage to open the cover even a sliver. 

But nothing happens. There’s no red light, no sudden flash of lightning and an evil villain appearing. Nothing. He opens it further, and his fear diminishes, but it’s only replaced by despair. He can’t read this book. Not only is it in Latin, but parts of the handwriting are hard to make out. He sighs, and then he thinks of Jensen. And he turns to his computer and starts doing his best with Google translate. It’s painstaking and stressful, having to keep it from Jensen, who he knows would not approve. The book isn’t short, by any means, and it takes him months before he makes the discovery that has him swallowing down his excitement before he gives himself away. 

So far, he’s seen a number of spells followed by their reversals. What he’s just found is the spell that was used on Jensen. He quickly turns the page, praying that there’s a reversal. Working through translations, he thinks that he has it, and he wants to shout it from the rooftops, but he can’t. Not yet. He saves it on his computer, hiding the book away again, no longer needing it. The next day, while Jensen’s in the living room, Jared grabs his headset like he would for a meeting, only this time, he’s listening to lessons on how to speak Latin, quietly whispering along where he can. The spell seems to just be an incantation, like the one that cursed Jensen in the first place, and Jared tries sounding it out a few times, slowly and broken, trying to make sure he has it right. When he murmurs it to himself the next time, he follows it all the way through, and it seems to roll more smoothly off his tongue.

There’s a sharp cry from the living room, one that Jared can hear even with his headset on, and he throws it off and runs out to see what happened. “Jensen!” 

When he gets there, he stops short, breath caught in his throat. It takes his brain a moment to catch up, the sight of a man immediately makes him think  _ intruder _ , but this man is standing by the front window, staring down at his hands in shock, naked and shaking.

“Jensen?”

The green eyes that look up at him are unmistakable, and Jared would shout with joy if Jensen weren’t so panicked. Jared kindly holds his hands up and averts his eyes, not wanting Jensen to feel any more freaked out than he already is. 

“It’s okay, just don’t move.”

Jared runs back to the bedroom and grabs the blanket off the bed, then runs back to the living room with it, slowing down as he cautiously approaches Jensen, holding Jensen’s gaze as he comes forward. “It’s okay,” he says quietly, wrapping the blanket around Jensen, who’s still shaking. “It’s okay. Do you need to sit?”

“ _ No _ ,” Jensen chokes out when Jared tries to gently move him, then “Yes” as he falters and nearly collapses.

“Alright, I’ve got you.” Jared catches him and holds him steady, then guides him to the couch, helping him to slowly lower down. Now that he’s able to fully focus on Jensen without worrying about being disrespectful, it’s interesting to see the transformation. He’s of course more focused on calming Jensen down at the moment, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he registers the surprise of a small black cat becoming a tall, lean man with carefully cropped hair and stubble who certainly would have been seen as the most eligible bachelor in his time. It seems like a ridiculous change, but it’s reality, and Jared’s happy to know the  _ real _ Jensen, after what they’ve been through together. He sits next to him, hand on Jensen’s blanketed shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Jensen tugs the blanket tighter. “What did you do?”

“I-I used the book,” Jared admits, and immediately feels bad when Jensen scrunches his eyes closed and lowers his head, shaking it. 

“You told me you wouldn’t.”

“I know. I did. And I’m sorry. But Morgan is dead, and I’m still gonna get rid of the book. I just wanted to help you first.”

“What if it brings him back?” Jensen asks, still panicking. “You saw what happens when you open that thing, and you just did it again?” 

“Nothing happened,” Jared reassures him, keeping his voice calm. “I was careful, believe me. And the truth is, I’ve been opening that book for months now, trying to translate it and see if there was anything in there that could help you. I found the spell that cursed you, and then I found its reversal.”

“You’ve been using it all this time?” Jensen asks, and Jared just nods, unsure if Jensen will still be angry with him, but Jensen’s tone is starting to sound a little more hopeful. “So, I’m…” He holds the blanket closed with one hand and holds the other up in front of his face again.

“...Do you wanna see?” Jared tries, and Jensen nods. Jared helps him up, supporting him as he wobbles and gets used to being on two legs again. They make their way slowly to the bathroom mirror, and Jared holds on to Jensen as he patiently waits for him to look up. 

When Jensen does look up, Jared looks away. It feels like a private moment he shouldn’t intrude on, when Jensen sees himself again for the first time. He hears Jensen’s gasp, and his own eyes tear up at the emotion he both hears and feels in the tension in Jensen’s body. He has to brace himself to hold Jensen up again, then keep himself from falling when Jensen abruptly turns into him, one hand still holding the blanket closed while the other wraps around Jared's back, holding on tightly to his shirt. He closes his eyes and hugs Jensen, not even sure for how long, so much emotion between them. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Jared says, his voice wavering, Jensen’s head still on his shoulder. “I didn’t expect it to work so quickly. If you’re not happy with it, I can change it.” It seems crazy to say, when Jensen had so wanted Morgan’s death to mean the curse was broken, but Jensen had gotten used to life the way it was, and Jared had just taken immortality away from him without asking, as much as Jensen had told him it was a curse before. It’s still something Jensen should have a choice in. 

“No,” Jensen murmurs, sniffling, voice broken as he finally pulls back, wiping at his eyes. “No, I don’t want it back. I just…” He looks lost for a moment, and now that Jared can see the emotion in Jensen’s  _ human _ face, it tugs at his heartstrings even more. “I just don’t know what to  _ do _ now.”

It’s actually a good point, now that Jared thinks about it. It’s not like Jensen has a birth certificate or social security number. The truth is, this just opened up a whole new can of worms, but it’s still something Jared figures they can find some way of dealing with, and it’s still better than Jensen being cursed to eternity as a cat. Jensen  _ deserved _ this much.

“Baby steps,” Jared offers, hands on Jensen’s shoulders. “Why don’t we start with some clothes?”

Jensen laughs a little and pulls at the blanket, and for all of the magic they’ve seen, Jared’s pretty much enchanted by Jensen’s smile. “I’d like that.”

“Okay. The good news is, we’re probably the same size. You weren’t kidding about six feet tall, huh?” He supports Jensen as they walk back into the bedroom, though Jensen is starting to stabilize himself. He sits Jensen down on the bed while he goes through his clothes, picking out a newer pair of boxers, clean socks, sweatpants, and his favorite hoodie. It’s his favorite hoodie because it’s the most comfortable one he has, but it’s also been Jensen’s favorite to curl up on when they’re relaxing on the couch. Jensen can’t exactly curl up on that anymore, but Jared figures the hoodie will at least be comforting for him. He sets the clothes down next to Jensen on the bed. “I’m pretty sure you know what to do with these?” Jensen’s never worn modern clothes, but Jared figures he’s seen enough to know, and Jensen nods to confirm. “Okay. I’ll just be outside the door. You let me know if you need help.”

“Okay.”

Jared leaves Jensen to it, closing the door but leaving just a crack to be able to hear Jensen call out to him if needed. He hears Jensen fumble a few times, but Jensen manages and comes to open the door himself before Jared can ask if he needs anything else. “All good?”

“Yeah,” Jensen says, hands stuffed into the pockets of the hoodie that he smiles down at. “Thank you for this. It smells like you.” He blushes just slightly. “That was probably weird to say. But as a cat, that’s what made it nice. I don’t quite have the same sense of smell now, but this still helps.”

Jared shrugs and smiles. “A lot of things will be weird at first, right? We can handle it. I don’t mind.”

Jensen stands there for a moment in silence before shrugging himself. “Jared, I don’t even know what to say. What you’ve done for me, it’s…”

“It’s what I  _ wanted _ to do,” Jared says. “Don’t forget, you also saved my life that night, helping me get away from Morgan and the zombies. Without you, I would have been lost.” Now he feels guilty as he says, “I don’t even know if I’ve actually thanked you for that yet.”

“You have,” Jensen answers, gesturing to himself. “With this, with…” he looks around the house, “...Everything.”

“I’m just glad you’re happy.”

Jared feels too excited to get back to work for the rest of the day, but there also isn’t much else to  _ do _ yet, with Jensen still getting acclimated to being a human again. Jensen may not be sitting in the living room window anymore, but Jared does his best to finish out his day while Jensen relaxes on the couch, sometimes getting up and walking around just to do it. He’s still a bit clumsy, even with his hands when he tries to pour himself a drink, but Jared figures centuries of paws will do that to you. 

He orders pizza for dinner instead of cooking and opens a couple of beers, excited for Jensen to enjoy more of what life has to offer for humans in modern times. It’s nothing bold or fancy, but it’s a start, and Jensen is  _ thrilled _ . 

“I have so much to do, and to try,” Jensen says, practically bouncing in his seat on the couch as they finish up dinner. “I don’t even know if I can sleep tonight.” He pauses as Jared settles into the seat next to him. “Where should I sleep tonight?”

It’s a fair question, and Jared’s not sure if Jensen feels any differently about sharing a bed now that he’s human. Jared supposes his personal boundaries could be different now, or he could expect Jared’s to be. But cat or human, Jared can’t imagine kicking Jensen out of his bed now. “You’re welcome to sleep wherever you want to. You could take the couch, though I’m not sure how comfortable it would be, now that you can’t curl up like you used to. I’m still perfectly fine with sharing the bed, as long you’re okay with it.” Jensen seems happy with that, and Jared’s glad to not have a wedge between them now. “We can also talk about rearranging this place for you to maybe have your own room, if you want, or maybe eventually finding somewhere else. But one step at a time.”

Going to bed that night, Jared almost wonders if he’ll miss having a purring cat curled up next to him, but it turns out Jensen’s presence on the other side of the bed is even more comforting. And while they stay separated that first night, Jared isn’t bothered the second night to wake up and find that Jensen has still curled up close beside him. Or the night after that, when Jensen’s spooned up behind him with an arm around him. It all feels soothing, if Jared’s honest.

Their routine doesn’t change much, at first, until Jared hands his phone off to Jensen while he’s working on the computer. Jensen takes to learning how to do everything on YouTube, and before Jared knows it, his snacks and meals are ready for him when he takes breaks from work. As Jensen becomes more deft with his hands, he also does so in the kitchen. He also becomes a  _ great _ partner for video games. 

One day, Jensen’s leaning against the kitchen counter as he eats an apple, staring at the cat food bowl and water fountain. “Do you think we should get rid of all the cat stuff?”

Jared enters the kitchen and pours himself a glass of water, leaning next to Jensen. He feels a strange sense of attachment to all of the cat paraphernalia in the house, and the thought of getting rid of it just feels sad. “Or we could just adopt a cat?” he suggests, knowing he’d love to have another. And one that is  _ just _ a cat. He looks for Jensen’s reaction and sees his expression go soft.

“Can we adopt a black cat?”

Midnight is a young, adult black cat found on the streets and fostered, waiting for his forever home, and Jensen is over the moon when they bring him home. If Jared had spoiled Jensen as a cat, Jensen spoils Midnight ten times more. And while Midnight is tentative at first and takes some time to get used to his new home, he eventually returns all of Jensen’s affection. “He’s perfect,” Jensen says constantly, and Jared can’t disagree.

For a few mornings in a row, Jared’s been waking up to Jensen gone from the bed already, no arms around him. Jensen’s made breakfast and still seems happy, but also a little bit anxious. Jared doesn’t pry at first, until he does.

“You’ve been getting up extra early.”

Silence for a moment, while Jensen pushes eggs around on his plate with his fork, sitting across from Jared at the dining room table. “Yeah.”

Jared drops his own fork, concerned. “Is everything alright?” Jensen hesitates, and Jared wonders if maybe he’s assumed Jensen’s been comfortable for too long. “Is this about our arrangement? Should we start looking into your own room, or getting a new place?”

“No.” Jensen answers quickly, then looks away, awkward and self-conscious. “No, it’s not that. It’s kind of the opposite, really.”

Jared’s brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Jensen clears his throat, obviously trying to work up the courage to explain himself. “I’ve been feeling things for you. And I don’t know if you’re okay with that, or if you feel the same way?”

When Jared freezes, it’s just because he’s stunned, though he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised. They’re certainly closer than Jared’s ever been to  _ anybody _ , but somehow he’d been blind to this. At this moment, Jared thinks that really, he hadn’t considered the fact that he might be lucky enough for this to happen, after everything else. Life couldn’t be that perfect, could it?

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Jensen continues, “Or make things weird between us. And I can’t make you feel the same way if you don’t, but I… I don’t want a separate room or a new place. I was given this  _ human _ life back, one that’ll last about the same as yours, and now that I know I don’t have  _ forever _ , I want to spend the time I do have with you.” 

The silence lasts too long, and Jared knows it, because Jensen starts to look dejected. “I-It’s not that I don’t feel the same way,” he says in a rush. “I’m honestly just kinda speechless. I guess I thought you would want other things, to experience things with other  _ people _ , now that you’re back in your own body. There’s a whole world out there you haven’t seen, and you want to stay here with me?”

Jensen looks up at him and shrugs. “Why couldn’t we just see the world together?”

Jared’s again too touched to even respond right away, but something Jensen said sticks in his brain. “Does it bother you? That you don’t have forever anymore?” He knows Jensen already told him he doesn’t want his immortality back, but it’s a subject worth revisiting from time to time.

“No.” The answer is immediate and sure, and Jared feels relieved. “Honestly my only fear now is outliving you. I’ve already outlived everyone else I’ve ever known or loved.”

“I’ll try my best to stick around,” Jared says, smiling a little. “But I don’t wanna lose you, either.” He stands up, and Jensen gives him a curious look and stands with him. Jared moves closer to him, feeling nervous and out of his element. He hasn’t had many romantic partners in his life. Then again, he assumes, neither has Jensen, considering the curse.  “ I want to spend the time I have with you, too.” He reaches out and takes Jensen’s hand in his, then hesitantly leans in further, and Jensen meets him halfway, their lips pressing together in a soft kiss.

It’s new and different, but Jensen’s smiling and laughing with relief after, and Jared’s heart soars as he joins in, Jensen squeezing his hand. There’s no question that he loves Jensen, and that they’ll navigate the rest of this life together, whatever happens. Though it’s tough to get through the work day again, just like it was the day Jensen became human again. They’re both too excited about this new element to their relationship and wanting to explore it. In fact, Jared calls out sick for the rest of the day and flops into bed with Jensen, the two of them practically giggling at shirking any adult responsibilities in favor of each other. 

The fact that it’s fun makes it a little less daunting, Jensen stealing kisses between Jared removing his shirt and his pants. But it feels more heated then, once they’re both just in boxers, Jensen moaning and arching beneath Jared before flipping them over. For Jensen, it’s been centuries, and he’s hard and eager, thrusting against Jared when Jared cups his jaw and slips his tongue in his mouth. He’s moving fast, and he breaks away for a moment, panting. 

“It’s been so long,” Jensen breathes. “You feel so good. I just don’t want it to be over too soon.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jared soothes, smoothing a hand down Jensen’s back and pulling at his boxers. “We have all day. And the rest of our lives. We can do this more than once.”

When Jensen lifts up to take his boxers off, Jared does the same, and he feels hot and breathless, taking it all in, the tip of Jensen’s dick already wet. Jensen looks down at him with dark eyes, lips parted, and all Jared can see is  _ want _ . 

“You’re beautiful,” Jensen murmurs, lowering himself on top of Jared again, kissing him and then thrusting, moaning when their dicks touch. Jared gasps and holds on then, hands on Jensen’s shoulders as his legs wrap around him, Jensen’s hips moving fast. Jensen’s hand fists in the sheets by Jared’s head as he thrusts harder,  _ needing _ to get off, balls pushing against Jared’s.

As intense as it is, it is over fast, Jensen moaning helplessly against Jared’s skin as he comes, Jared feeling the warmth on his body. He slowly rubs Jensen’s back as he relaxes, sighing. He’s dead weight on Jared until he slowly lifts his head, and pushes up slightly on his hands. He looks so sated and peaceful, and Jared smiles at the sight, even as he reaches down to wrap a hand around his dick, still hard. Jensen sees and sits back between Jared’s legs, hand on Jared’s inner thigh. 

“Can I?”

Jared nods and moves his hand away, lets Jensen take over instead, grunting and thrusting at the first few tentative strokes. “Tighter,” he says, and Jensen complies, shifting on the bed.

“Tell me how you like it.” It’s a quiet, genuine ask, Jensen wanting to please Jared, and it makes him that much harder. 

“Faster,” Jared breathes, and Jensen changes his pace, stroking to just under the head, and when Jared moans, Jensen focuses there, even swiping his thumb over the precome at the slit. Suddenly, Jared feels even more on display as Jensen looks down at him, and he loses control of his breathing, of his body, everything going tight as he arches. He comes, adding to the mess of Jensen’s come on his skin, Jensen’s grip mercifully loosening as he grows more sensitive. When he drops back down flat, Jensen flops down next to him, kissing his shoulder and his neck. 

“We’ll definitely need to do that again.” Jared laughs. “And better. I just… I needed that.”

“Me, too.” He feels just as boneless as Jensen looks, and they lay there with each other, enjoying the silence until Jared desperately feels the need to clean up. 

Jensen’s nearly insatiable after that, and Jared can’t say he minds. They get to know every inch of each other, exploring further as they do. The first time Jared lets Jensen inside of him, they take their time, and he finds himself wanting more. He’s never felt this close to anybody.

Eventually, Jared becomes a bit less of a loner, as the two of them venture out more, make adjustments to the house, and get to know the nearest neighbors. It’s no surprise that everyone loves Jensen, and nobody seems to mind him being vague about his past. As they branch out, Jared briefly finds himself in some shady dealings in order to get Jensen set up as a real person in the eyes of the government. He learns more about the dark web than he wants to, but he’s careful to get in and out with no ties to anything else. 

Making friends has its advantages, like one taking the leap of faith to hire Jensen after a few remodeling ventures, Jensen proving himself more than capable with manual labor. It also means vacations, where they  _ do _ get to see the world together. And one cruise where they manage to not forget to finish what they started. 

It’s dark in the middle of the ocean past the lights of the ship, so many stars up above. The sound of the water is soothing, and they’ve managed to step out in the middle of the night with no one watching, Jensen holding the book. The moment feels heavy and significant, a true goodbye to the mess they went through, full commitment to the lives they’re living now. They take a moment of silence together.

“You ready to Titanic this bitch?” Jared asks, and he’s already made Jensen watch the movie prior to the trip to get the reference. 

Jensen looks down at the book, lifts it up over the rail. “More than ready.”

He tosses it, and they watch it float for a moment before it sinks, losing sight of it not long after it slips below the surface into the darkness of the ocean. Jensen’s beaming and looks like a weight has been lifted from him, and Jared feels proud. It’s fitting for Jensen to have been the one to throw it overboard and finally put Morgan and centuries of torture behind him. He hugs Jensen, and Jensen squeezes back, finally  _ completely _ free.

“I never thought I’d feel this way again,” Jensen says when they reenter their cabin later, and Jared pauses, leaning against the wall in the dim light as Jensen looks at him with gratitude. “I didn’t think I’d ever feel excited again for a new chapter in life.  _ Everything _ was boring to me. This short human life with you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Don’t remind me that it’s short,” Jared says, coming forward and hugging Jensen again. But for all that he says that, decades later, when the time comes and Jensen goes first, Jared’s not as sad as he expected to be. It hurts, in a way he’s never experienced, but he’s still happy, because Jensen dies happy. Jensen got exactly what he wanted and exactly what he deserved from this life, after a curse that Jared can’t even fathom. And he’s glad that Jensen didn’t have to lose him, after all of his other losses. Jensen left this world absolutely content, and Jared wouldn’t want it any other way.

Still, he can’t say that his remaining days among the living are anything special. They just seem so  _ bland _ without Jensen around. He finds himself spending most of his time reminiscing for all the versions of Jensen that he knew. The phases of their relationship were certainly unique to them, and Jared lies in bed at night thinking of the Jensen that was half-roommate and half-pet, all soft fur and purrs cuddled up to him in bed. He thinks of the Jensen that befriended him just moments after he made the stupid mistake of lighting the candle, though of course now he doesn’t regret that mistake. But it was an action that Jensen had been trying to prevent for centuries that could have resulted in much more chaos and tragedy, and Jensen still saw enough good in him to protect and bond with him over that crazy Halloween night. As both cat and human, Jensen was the best friend Jared could have asked for, appearing just when he needed it the most. He wouldn’t have even pushed his luck any further to ask for Jensen to become more than a friend, but it happened anyway, giving him a love he’d never known. 

The rest of his life isn’t lonely or depressing, but his grief is very deep and very real, and he finds that Jensen was right all those years ago. He finally understands that death isn’t something to fear or avoid, if you have the ability to, which Jensen did. Jared did, too, if he’s honest. He could have kept the book and granted them  _ both _ immortality. 

But once Jared finally reaches the end of his own life and meets Jensen again in the next, he finds that both of them taking the mortal, human path was the best decision they ever made.


End file.
